1. Technical Field
This patent application relates generally to integrated circuit (IC) packaging technology and, in particular, but not by way of limitation, to leadframes for IC packages and methods of manufacturing thereof.
2. Background
IC packaging is one of the final stages involved in the fabrication of IC devices. During IC packaging, one or more IC chips are mounted on a package substrate, connected to electrical contacts, and then coated with an encapsulation material comprising an electrical insulator such as epoxy or silicone molding compound. The resulting IC package may then be mounted onto a printed circuit board (PCB) and/or connected to other electrical components.
Oftentimes, IC packages may include electrical contacts rather than external leads, where the electrical contacts are covered on top by the encapsulating material and are exposed on the bottom of the IC package so they can be connected to electrical components located beneath the IC package. Oftentimes, using a metal leadframe to form part of the IC package may be more cost effective than using a laminated board or tape material because, for example, more cost effective materials may be used, such as copper, nickel, or other metals or metal alloys, and use of such materials may allow more cost effective manufacturing processes to be employed, such as stamping or etching rather than multi-step laminate processes.